Fly2Sky (VAW, Sofia) has expanded its fleet with the addition of two 2001-build A321-200s, its largest type yet.
The Bulgarian ACMI/charter specialist has already registered LZ-MDL (msn 1503) in the country. The aircraft is owned by GECAS and was originally delivered to Air Jamaica. Later, it was operated by AtlasGlobal through November 2019, when the Turkish airline suspended all scheduled operations amidst a liquidity crisis. The Airbus narrowbody has been stored at Montpellier since then and remains there, for the time being, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
The second A321 will be OE-ILB (msn 1451), also owned by GECAS and formerly operated by Volare Airlines, Cyprus Turkish Airlines, Aigle Azur, and AtlasGlobal. It, too, has been in storage at Montpelier airport since November 13, 2019. It will be re-registered as LZ-MDF in Bulgaria.
Fly2Sky said the aircraft would be available to the ACMI/charter market in a flexible cabin configuration, both with a passenger cabin and with seats removed for cargo-only operations.
Sine Draco Aviation, an US and China-based company, has started induction of the prototype A321 for its passenger to freighter conversion programme. The aircraft involved, which will be dubbed A321-200SDF (Sine Draco Freighter), is N668SD (963) and was previously in use with AtlasGlobal. The A321 is being converted at Ascent Aviation in Tuscon (AZ).
The company is aiming to get FAA Supplemental Type Certifcate approval in the third quarter of 2022. Sine Draco is the third company offering A321-conversions, after Airbus/EFW and Precision Aircraft.
It's currently unclear if the company already secured customers for its A321-200SDFs.
Global Crossing Turns Its Eyes To Cargo With A321 Freighters
Global Crossing Airlines has announced it will acquire four Airbus A321P2F (Passenger-to-Freighter) aircraft starting next year. The Miami-based startup, which provides wet leasing and charter flights around the U.S, Caribbean and Latin America, will acquire the planes from Greenwich Highland Aviation as early as January 2022. After converting the aircraft, the first A321 freighter is expected to enter service in July 2022.
Global Crossing Airlines will acquire four A321P2F planes. Photo: Airbus
Four A321 freighters
Global Crossing Airlines, also known as GlobalX, has turned its eyes to the cargo game with the acquisition of four A321P2Fs. The ACMI and charter airline, which only just received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in August, will convert the four A321s into freighters beginning early next year.
Ed Wegel, Chairman and CEO of Global Crossing Airlines, said,
“We are very pleased to enter into these orders for long-term leases with Greenwich Highland – an experienced and successful lessor who understand the narrowbody freighter market and our particular requirements.”
The airline will acquire the aircraft from Greenwich Highland Aviation, an aviation leasing and trading company. The company was established in 2011 by a group of experienced aviation professionals.
The interior of an A321P2F. Photo: Airbus
According to its official website, the firm “concentrates on opportunities based around mid-to-end of life mainstream Airbus and Boeing equipment with a focus on the underlying value of the engines, which are typically of IAE, CFM, GE and P&W manufacture.”
Stuart Peebles, Principal of Greenwich Highland Aviation, said,
We are very impressed with GlobalX’s execution of their business plan and their progress in building a world-class charter airline. We look forward to working closely with Ed and his great team to deliver these four aircraft and more as we continue to develop our mutually successful long term partnership.”
The first freighter will be converted in January
Global Crossing Airlines is set to receive the first A321 in January 2022, which it will begin converting into a freighter. The aircraft (MSN 1438) reg: N1438 is then expected to enter service in July 2022 as a freighter. The second A321 (MSN 1953) reg: N195PG is set to undergo conversion in June 2022 and will enter service by December. Both aircraft are currently stored at Montpellier and were last in service with Atlasglobal Airlines of Turkey.
The final two A321s are expected to arrive in 2023 for conversion and should enter service in the same year. These two aircraft will be leased to Global Crossing Airlines after their conversion into freighters. The airline added that it expects to grow its cargo fleet in the future, most likely through a similar arrangement with Greenwich Highland Aviation.
Ed Wegel added,
“We hope and expect to expand this deal beyond the first four aircraft and convert more A321s with Greenwich Highland Aviation.”
The Global Crossing fleet
The agreement with Greenwich Highland Aviation for four A321s will almost double Global Crossing Airlines’ fleet size in the next two years. The airline’s fleet currently consists of two Airbus A320-200s and one Airbus A321-200. The two A320s are over 13 and 15 years old respectively, while its A321 is over 16 years old.
Global Crossing finally received its AOC in August this year. Photo: Global Crossing
Global Crossing is also expecting two additional Airbus planes, one A320 and one A321, which are set to arrive by the end of the year. Additionally, the airline has stated its interest in acquiring an A330, its first widebody aircraft, in the second quarter of 2022.
AtlasGlobal (KK, Istanbul New) has suspended widebody operations after both its A330-200s were ferried to Shannon on January 25, 2020, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
TC-AGD (msn 819) ended revenue operations on January 7, while TC-AGF (msn 900) continued to fly for AtlasGlobal until January 17. After a period of storage at Istanbul New, both aircraft were eventually ferried to Shannon.
The carrier did not respond to ch-aviation's query on whether it planned to return the A330s to service at a later point.
AtlasGlobal continues to operate two active A321-200s. Another unit of the type has been stored at Amman Queen Alia since November 27, 2019.
AtlasGlobal resumed operations on December 16, 2019, after a 20-day-long suspension of all scheduled flights due to restructuring. The carrier's fleet has been shrinking continuously. In late November, when it suspended operations, AtlasGlobal operated one A320-200, nine A321s, and three A330-200s. Its now-dormant subsidiary AtlasGlobal UA (UH, Lviv) operated two A320-200s at that time.
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